There is no doubt that the UAE is home to some spectacular properties. From penthouse apartments to plush villas with sprawling gardens and incredible pools, it’s a real estate haven.
Each week, The National showcases some of the finest homes on offer in its Property of the Week. Here, we take a closer look at a modern villa on Frond J of Dubai's Palm Jumeirah.
The key details
This 13-bedroom villa is spread across a double plot and measures in at 30,000 square feet. It comes unfurnished, has a private stretch of beach, views across to the Royal Atlantis development and Dubai Marina, and has a 20-foot outdoor pool and Jacuzzi at the ready. There's also a home cinema, gym and maids quarters.
It's on the market for Dh130 million with LuxuryProperty.com.
What's the story?
When we're young, we all dream of living in as big a house as possible, with endless rooms, sweeping staircases leading to different wings and exterior views to absolutely lose yourself in.
But how big can the imagination go? And, more importantly, how big can you go in reality?
The answer lies on a quiet Palm Jumeirah street, where the limits of ambition are pushed.
It's big enough to be a hotel — it's sandy exterior tones giving it the feel of one of those desert escapes where the sun sets in a brilliant orange just above the dunes.
Inside, it's a blank canvas waiting to be filled with treasures — even the basement is vast with room for 10 cars and a whole lot more.
The centrepiece living space is big on both size and views out towards the Marina area and — certainly until the furniture arrives — is of an area that would easily fit a game of indoor cricket with the bowler coming in off a full run-up. Howzat for luxury living?
The broker says...
Is this one of the biggest houses in Dubai (except royal palaces)?
As of right now it is the biggest ready villa for sale on the Palm Jumeirah for sure. No other villa on the Palm has such a huge basement and car parking area, in addition to this much built-up space on the ground and first and second floor.
Who needs 13 bedrooms? What’s the logic behind building a home this big?
The initial idea for the property was for the owner and his large family to live in it themselves, so creating a 13-bedroom option on the Palm allowed for every family member to have their own space, while still providing some additional room for guests. As it stands now, the property is very much like a boutique hotel on an exclusive frond of the Palm.
Could it have worked better as two separate homes?
The Palm Jumeirah is all about beachfront living in your own private sanctuary. This is a stunning mansion that is bigger than 95 per cent of the homes on the Palm and presents itself as a unique option both in terms of its design and the vast levels of space it offers. It is definitely best being kept as one big beautiful property.
How do you go about furnishing it in what would surely be a huge project?
Well, the job of a good real estate broker is to take care of this hassle for any new potential buyer. We have engaged one of the city's finest interior furnishing and fit out companies to create three separate turnkey templates for this property. Each of them is extremely modern, contemporary and stylish. All the buyer has to do is select one of the three templates and engage directly with the furnishing company to get it all finished within one to three months of taking possession of their new home.
Why would you buy here and not, say, in Emirates Hills for similar pricing?
It is very important to understand what each individual buyer wants as their ideal home here in Dubai. The Palm Jumeirah offers so many things that Emirates Hills cannot. In turn, Emirates Hills has certain aspects which you cannot have living on the Palm. To live on the Palm means that you are looking for a full lifestyle destination which revolves around the beach, the sea and in general, fun and healthy living. Emirates Hills is a fantastic place to live - but at the end of the day, there is only one Palm Jumeirah in the world!
- Riccardo Scala, director of the Private Client Office of LuxuryProperty.com
